Blind



April 2,5, 1939- i A T. WATERMAN 2,155,985

` BLIND Filed June 19, 1957 Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES BLIND Arthur T. Waterman, Kansas City, Mo.

Application June 19, 1937, Serial No. 149,159

4 Claims.

This invention relates to blinds for windows or the like, and more particularly to those of the type known as Venetian blinds, and has for its principal object to provide a blind which ad-' 5 mits a maximum amount of light through the opening in which it is. mounted and at the same time minimizesthe glare of direct light entering the room.

Further objects of the present invention are to provide a blind having slats, so'shaped that Aall vision through the opening may be obstructed, while all light is reflected into the room and air has free passage through the blind; to provide a metal slat having a single bend, which has the necessary rigidity to prevent vibration and noise; to provide a blind having slats with polished surfaces so arranged that a substantially fiatv mirror surface may be presented to either the interior or exterior of the room; to provide a slat having insulating qualities to prevent passage of heat to or from the room; and to provide a blind having slats adapted to nest together, when raised, to occupy a minimum amount of space.

In accomplishing theseA and other objects of the present invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

wherein:

blind embodying the features of the present 1nvention mounted in a window frame.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 42 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through a portion of the blind showing the slats thereof in open or spaced condition.

Fig. 4 is a similar vertical cross-section showing the slats of the blind in closed condition.

Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of an individual slat of a Venetian blind embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a slat for a Venetian blind embodying the 45 features of the present invention, illustrating the treated upper portion of the top surface thereof.

Fig. '7 is a transverse sectional view of a slathaving one sidey curved relatively to the other side.

5o Referring more in detail to the drawing:

The invention generally consists of a Venetian,

blind I mounted in a window frame 2 having the usual horizontal sill member 3, topmember 4 and vertical side members 5. 'I'heblind has a conventional top supporting beam 6. provided Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a Venetian with an opening 1 therethrough forthe extension of portions of'the pull ropes 8, which are extended through a. series of slats 9 in the usual manner for selectively raising and lowering the slats 9 to position the blind in operating position 5 vfor regulating the admission of light. A conventional bracket I0 is provided on the window frame for receiving portions of the pull ropes 8 for maintaining the blinds in desired nested position. 10

While the operation and design of the blind assembly is generally conventional, the slats 9 thereof, including the bottom member II and the upper4 member I2, are of improved construction, and embody the principal'features of the l5 presentA invention. i

The upper member I2 is of substantially trir angular cross-section and is provided' with pins I3 extending longitudinally thereof for engagement in conventional brackets I4 for supporting 20 same. The ropes I5 are suitably engaged with the top member I 2 for selectively tilting itV to a desired inclination, Aas in customary practice. The member I2 is provided with a slat.I6 on its angled or bottom face and tapes I1 are attached 25 to the member for extension downwardly to engage and support the bottom member II. The member II is of substantially V-shape and is provided with a slat I8 embodying the principal features of the present invention in the groove 30 formed by the arms of the V.

The slats 9 are preferably provided with angled sides I9 and 20 extending angularly from the median line 2l thereof, which sides are preferably directed upwardly relative to the sill 3 35 to form an angle less than between their upper faces, and an angle greater than 180 between their bottom surfaces. A slat of this character having a single bend gives the necessary rigidity thereto, yet precludes vibration and noise 40 when in' a series. The slats 9 are further provided on their surfaces with a light reflecting finish 22, which is accomplished by covering same with a metallic paint or the like, orby making the 'slats of a light metal, for example alumin- 45 ium, which has the inherent characteristic of refiecting light, as well as insulating qualities to to prevent passage of heat to or from a room in which the blind is mounted.

The upper, inner portions of each of the slats 50 are preferably provided with a dull or light absorbing surface, as shown at 23 in Fig. 6, whereby light entering the opening in which the blind is mounted, for example when the blind is in the condition shown in Fig. 3, strikes the slats as shown at a in dotted lines and is reected from the light reflecting surfaces 22 of the slats upwardly toward the ceiling of the room for illuminating same to provide an indirect lighting for the interior of the room. 'I'he horizontal light rays, indicated by the dotted lines b, which ordinarily pass lbetween the sla'ts of a conventional blind to cause glare, are absorbed by the light absorbing surface 23. Therefore, at many v positions of the blind the maximum useful light is directed into the room and most all glare eliminated.

The slatsv are provided with the usual openings 24, spaced from the ends thereof for receiving portions of the ropes 8, which extend therethrough in alignment with `the slat supporting tapes 25 which are suitably fixed to the raising and lowering tapes I1 in the usual manner, and the shape of the slats adapts them for nesting engagement with each other when the lower member I I is raised tosuccessively raise the superimposed slats 9 thereon. The position of the superl occupy a minimum amount of space in the window frame.

The operation of a Venetian blind constructed as described is as follows:

Assuming the blind to be in lowered open condition, as shown in Fig. 2, a certain amount of light is admitted to the room through the window in which the blind is mounted. It is possible with the blind in the condition shown in Fig. 2, for light to pass through the slats thereof which might be annoying to the occupants of the room. Thera-pes I5 are then adjusted for raising the inner portions of the slats and lowering the outer portions of the slats in the usual manner to the position shown in Fig. 3. In this position, the slats are still maintained in maximum spaced relation, so that a maximum amount of air is admitted to the room, but light is prevented from shining directly into the room since the upwardly turned dulled inner upper surfaces of the ,slats absorb the light and prevent its reflection into the room and since the upper edge of the inner side of the slat is substantially level with the bottom of the next upper slat. Light does, however, strike the light reflecting surfaces 22 of lthe upper, outer portions of the slats for reflection upwardly toward the ceiling of the room for lighting same with an indirect effect so that adequate lighting is provided for the room without glare of any kind.

Further, the opening between the slats is maintained at a maximum so very little resistance is offered to the air passing into the room.

When it is desired to shut off light completely from the exterior to the interior of the room, the pull ropes I5 are further manipulated to effect edge contact of successivelower slats at approximately the median line 2|' of the bottom faces of the next above slats. Light is thus prevented from entering the room through the blind. With the slats of the blind in this edge contact condition, the light reflecting bottom faces of the slats are presented to theinterior of the room in a vertical plane and a substantially continuous surface in such a manner that a mirror is provided as a useful ornament for the interior of the room. It is also apparent that the positions of the slats may be reversed by an opposite manipulation of the cords I5, so that a mirror surface is presented to the exterior of the room-for reflecting light y away from the room. g

The flat reflecting surface presented when the slats are positioned in this manner reflects heat so as to form an insulating sheet which prevents the passage of heat to or from the room to maintain the room cooler in summer and warmer in Winter. If desired, the bottom of the inner side of the slats may be decorated with a picture or colors harmonizing with the decorations of the room without detracting from the insulating qualities as the bottom of the outer side of the slats being a reflecting surface will oiler the insulating qualities when the flat surface is turned `to the outside.

When it is desired to open the blind relative to the sill 3 of the window, the ends of the ropes 8 are pulled downwardly to raise the lower slat member II, the upper angled face of the slat member II engaging the lower angled face. of the next above slat, nestingthe same and picking it and each succeeding superimposed slat up to a. desired height above the sill.

The slat shown in Fig. 7 is formed of a thin metal strip 25 having a flat outer portion 26, the

are that light rays entering a room in which the blind is mounted are lreflected immediately to the upper portions of the walls and to the ceiling of the room rather than to the floor and lower wall portions. Floors and objects on the floors are usually-provided with light absorbing surfaces and the entering light, before the advent of the present invention, wastherefore dissipated in strength prior to reaching the ceiling for subsequent reflection toreading or working planes in the room. A maximum amount of space may be provided between each of the adjacent slats for the entrance of air into a room. Due to the nesting engagement of the slats relative to each other, they may be raised completely to the top of the window frame and occupy a minimum amount of space. Due to the angled conformation of the slats, rigidity is imparted thereto, and glare is `preventedfrom annoying occupants of the room. When the blind is in lowered condition and the slats are in closed condition, the bottom surface thereof may be utilized to form a mirror or be decorated as an ornament for the room. bThe reflecting bottom surface may also be utilized as` an insulator by reflecting heat away from thel ro'om. i

What I-claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of louvers each having upwardly and outwardly diverging wings, the upper faces of the wings at the outer side of the blind having light reflecting surfaces, and means tiltingly supportingv the louvers in spaced relation whereby the wings at the outer side of the blind reflect light rays upwardly be tween the wings at the inner side o! the blind and said wings at the inner side o! the blind cut oil.' objectionable light rays in selected positions of the louvers.

2. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of louvers each having upwardly and outwardly diverging wings, and means tiltingly supporting the louvers in spaced relation relatively to each other whereby the louvers at the outer side of the blind are movable to a position for reecting exterior light rays upwardly through said spaces, said wings having-depth relatively to said spacing so that when the wings at the outer side are in reecting position the terminal edges of the wings at the inner side substantially obstruct direct view through the spaces without cutting oil' the reileoted light rays and -interfering with ventilation.

3. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of louvers each having upwardly and outwardly diverging wings, and means tiltin'gly supporting the louvers on the diverging points of said wings whereby said louvers are adapted to be rocked to a position'so that the wings on the outer side of the blind reflect light rays between the wings at the inner side oi' the blind and the wings at the inner side ot the blind substantially shut on direct viewbetween said louvers.

4. In a Venetian blind. a plurality of louvers each having upwardly and outwardly diverging wings, the upper faces oi the wings at the outer side of the blind having light reecting surfaces and the upper faces of the wings at the inner side of the blind having light.absorptive faces, and means tiltingly supporting the louvers in spaced relation to each other, said wings having depth relatively to said spacing so that when the wings at the outer side are in position to reflect light upwardly between said spaces, the terminal edges of the wings at the inner side substantially register horizontally with the diverging points of said wings to obstruct direct view through said spaces without cutting o the reflected light rays and interfering with ventilation.

ARTHUR T. WATERMAN. 

